Urban Landscape: Hopkins’ Shriver Hall Auditorium to Close for Renovations; Barnes & Noble Closing in Towson as Ukazoo is Set to Open New Store; First Office Tenant Announced for Stadium Square

Shriver Hall Auditorium, the largest performance and lecture space on the Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus, will close for renovations this fall.

According to the Hopkins Hub, the auditorium will close Sept. 5 and is projected to reopen Jan. 15, 2018. Other areas of the building, including the Clipper Room and the Shriver Hall board room, will remain available for scheduling while work on the auditorium is underway.

Built in 1954 at the south end of the Wyman Quadrangle, Shriver currently seats nearly 1,100 people and is the home of the Shriver Hall Concert Series and other musical programs. The Hopkins Symphony Orchestra performs there. It also provides a setting for the Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium and other talks and lectures that have brought Nobel Prize winners, former presidential candidates and other dignitaries to Baltimore.

Buckler, Fenhagen, Meyer and Ayers was the architect of Shriver Hall, which is named after Alfred Jenkins Shriver, a member of the Class of 1891 who gave the money for it.

According to the Hub, the renovations will include upgrading lighting and electrical wiring and replacing seats in the auditorium. The number of seats is expected to drop to 900 or so after the work is complete. Lights will be replaced with LED fixtures around the stage and in the first floor lobby.

Upgrading the sound system is not in the scope of this project, but the electrical work will be completed in a way that facilitates an upgrade later if that becomes a priority, said Hopkins spokesman Dennis O’Shea.

Eric Beatty, director of the Homewood Arts Programs, told the Hub the renovations will result in a “significantly improved theatrical experience” for student performers, including dance and singing groups.

The Sextant Group is the lighting consultant. Colimore Architects is in charge of the seating design. A contractor has not been named and there is not a final cost for the project because it is still being designed, O’Shea said.

The temporary closing means that events usually held at Shriver will move to other locations. According to the Hub, two fall Hopkins Symphony Orchestra concerts will be held at the War Memorial Building near City Hall. The Homewood Arts Programs and other events will also be moved to other settings, mostly on campus.

Barnes & Noble Closing in Towson on June 10

Barnes & Noble will close its Towson store on Saturday, June 10, according to a store representative.

The company announced earlier this year that it planned to close its Towson branch due to construction planned around York and Joppa roads. Nearby Barnes & Noble stores are in Pikesville, White Marsh and the Inner Harbor.

Ukazoo Books to Open Around June 10 on Loch Raven Boulevard

Just as Barnes & Noble closes its Towson store, the owners of Ukazoo Books are planning to open in their new location, 8641 Loch Raven Boulevard. Ukazoo’s tentative opening date, also June 10, was posted in a message on Facebook.

Ukazoo closed its Towson store in December, and it’s now leased to Race Pace Bicycles. Last weekend, volunteers helped Ukazoo’s management unpack and shelve books in preparation for the opening on Loch Raven Boulevard. The store has a new slogan: “Keep Calm and Wait for Ukazoo.”

Enterprise Homes has Moved to the Lion Brothers Building, Now 60 percent Occupied

Enterprise Homes has moved to its new headquarters in the Lion Brothers Building in Southwest Baltimore. Marks, Thomas Architects was the interior architect for Enterprise, an anchor for the Lion Brothers project. Cho Benn Holback + Associates was the architect of the Lion Brothers renovation for Cross Street Partners, the developer.

The Lion Brothers Building is the historic restoration of a former factory building at 875 Hollins Street in the Hollins Market neighborhood. The building includes an on-site gym and parking, and its affiliation with the University of Maryland BioPark provides tenants with access to first-class conference space on West Baltimore Street.

The building is more than 60 percent occupied. Baltimore Community Lending and UMBC’s Intermedia and Digital Arts Program also lease space in the building.

First Tenant Announced for Stadium Square Office Building

Janney Montgomery Scott, a national financial services firm, has signed the first office lease at 145 Ostend Street, part of the Stadium Square mixed-use development that Caves Valley Partners is building in South Baltimore. The tenant is expected to move into its new space, about 6,000 square feet, before fall.

“Janney is thrilled to be opening an office in Baltimore City as we expand our footprint in Maryland,” said Tom Simcik, regional manager at Janney Montgomery Scott, in a statement. “This year, Janney Montgomery Scott is celebrating its 185th anniversary. We believe that Stadium Square will offer exactly what we need to successfully serve our clients and employees.”

Mad River Bar & Grille Closes in Federal Hill

Mad River Bar & Grille in Federal Hill closed permanently on Saturday, according to messages posted on Facebook by the owners.

“It’s bittersweet to announce that after 13 years, we will be closing our doors,” the owners said in one message. “Words can’t describe how incredible these past 13 years have been,” said another.

Open since 2003 at 1110 S. Charles Street, Mad River Baltimore is part of a series of establishments with the Mad River name. Others are in New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Owners Andrew Wheeler and David Yike told the Baltimore Business Journal that they plan to convert the Charles Street space to a new concept with a different name and menu, and reopen by fall.

Charles Village Pub Sale is Approved

Baltimore’s liquor board last week approved a request to transfer the liquor license for the Charles Village Pub at 3107 St. Paul Street from Ford Wilgus to majority owner Anthony Romeo-Weir, a longtime employee, and Michael Barber.

An application on file with the liquor board stated that the pub is being sold for $500,000. According to a representative of the liquor board, the owner will upgrade the pub’s front façade as part of an agreement with the Charles Village Civic Association.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Opening May 25 in Towson Commons

May 25 is the grand opening date for a new Chipotle Mexican Grille at Towson Commons, according to The Towson Times. The chain already has Towson-area locations on Goucher Boulevard and in the 6300 block of York Road.

Memorial Service Set for Architect Robert Vogelsang

A memorial service will be held on June 17 for architect Robert Vogelang, who died of pancreatic cancer on April 10 at age 63.

The service will be held at 2 p.m. at Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church, 3701 Sweet Air Road in Phoenix, Md.

A principal with Meyers & D’Aleo and its successor firms for many years, Vogelsang worked on the Aigburth Vale Senior Community, the U. S. Customs House restoration, the Union Memorial Hospital Oncology Center, Blakehurst, Warren Place and Baywoods of Annapolis.

The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the church’s Sanctuary Improvement Fund.